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Abstract:
This paper develops an inductive theory of the open source software innovation process by focusing on the creation of Freenet, a project aimed at developing a decentralized and anonymous peer-to-peer electronic file sharing network. We are particularly interested in the strategies and processes by which new people join the existing community of software developers and how they initially contribute code. Analyzing date from multiple sources on the Freenet software development process, we generate the constructs of "joining script", "specialization", "contribution barriers", and "feature gifts", and propose relationships among these. Implications for theory and research are discussed.

Open Source, Freenet, Innovation, Software Innovation

Abstract:
Currently two models of innovation are prevalent in organization science. The "private investment" model assumes returns to the innovator results from private goods and efficient regimes of intellectual property protection. The "collective action" model assumes that under conditions of market failure, innovators collaborate in order to produce a public good. The phenomenon of open source software development shows that users program to solve their own as well as shared technical problems, and freely reveal their innovations without appropriating private returns from selling the software. In this paper we propose that open source software development is an exemplar of a compound model of innovation that contains elements of both the private investment and the collective action models. We describe a new set of research questions this model raises for scholars in organization science. We offer some details regarding the types of data available for open source projects in order to ease access for researchers who are unfamiliar with these, and also offer some advice on conducting empirical studies on open source software development processes.

Open source software, innovation, incentives, collective action

Abstract:
A central tenant of open innovation is free revealing of the detailed workings of novel products and services, so that others may use them, learn from them, and perhaps improve them as well. We explain that innovators frequently do freely reveal proprietary information and knowledge regarding both information-based products and physical products they have developed. We explain why free revealing can make good economic sense for innovators and for society as well. The article develops the case for free revealing in terms of a private collective model of innovation incentives.

Abstract:
The private-collective innovation model proposes incentives for individuals and firms to privately invest resources to create public goods innovations. Such innovations are characterized by non-rivalry and non-exclusivity in consumption. Examples include open source software, user-generated media products, drug formulas, and sport equipment designs. There is still limited empirical research on private-collective innovation. We present a case study to (1) provide empirical evidence of a case of private-collective innovation, showing specific benefits, and (2) to extend the private-collective innovation model by analyzing the hidden costs for the company involved. We examine the development of the Nokia Internet Tablet, which builds on both proprietary and open source software development, and that involves both Nokia developers and volunteers who are not employed by the company. Seven benefits for Nokia are identified, as are five hidden costs: difficulty to differentiate, guarding business secrets, reducing community entry barriers, giving up control, and organizational inertia. We examine the actions taken by the management to mitigate these costs throughout the development period.

Abstract:
Software firms implement software reuse programs in IS development in order to save development costs, enhance knowledge sharing, and improve product quality. Such programs contain incentive contracts, career promises, and reuse policies for motivting developers. Research is scant on component reuse in the open source software development where software reuse programs are absent. Using theory on knowledge transfer, empirical research on software reuse and open sourc esoftware development, we develop a lightweight model of component reuse in open source software, substituting elements of software reuse programs in IS development. Testing this model on a sample of software packages from Debian GNU/Linux, we find that organizational characteristics (membership in umbrella projects, listing on indexing repositories, age, documentation, dominant programming languages, and non-restrictive licenses) explain more extensive component reuse. Implications for research and management practice are discussed.

software reuse, component reuse, knowledge transfer, open source software, innovation

Abstract:
To revitalize the discussion on dominant logic our paper aims to establish the forgotten link between dominant logic and firm performance. To do so, the concept is enhanced conceptually and operationalized by developing a framework including firms' conceptualization of the business (external environment) and of themselves (internal environment) and performance. The framework is applied to a longitudinal study of two consumer electronics firms. The empirical evidence shows that differences in dominant logic lead to different strategic reactions to developments in the industry, and thus result in performance differences.